Hollywood Blvd. by Love Ghost and Go Golden Junk is an exploration of the ups and downs of living in the overstimulated world of Hollywood. Ghostie covers the contrast between the party lifestyle and the loneliness that manifests when finding success in the centre of the entertainment world.

Playing off the traditional conventions of punk and emo rock, the song challenges the carefree attitudes of the genre with lyrics about passing out drunk and feeling lonely and isolated in the middle of the city. Contrasting these hard times in life with the crunchy rock guitars and energetic delivery associated with the genre creates this uncomfortable mix of exposing and idolising the lifestyle.

I thought the line “You can be lonely with me” was especially meaningful in underscoring the challenge people in entertainment have when finding genuine connections outside of work. The melody ebbs and flows around these changes. In the moments that explore the loneliness of Hollywood, the hard rock guitars fall to the backdrop and the vocal is allowed to shine. The emphasis on the vocals helps to build the emotional edge of the track, connecting you to its themes without any other instrumentation to distract. The loneliness also relates to the melodic components of the song through the sparse instrumentation. This shows off a stark comparison to the intensity of the emo rock high moments. That kind of cohesion between the melody and narrative is impressive. It illuminates the technical expertise of the production and delivery.

Speaking of the delivery, both Love Ghost and Go Golden Junk do a great job across the track. Ghostie captures your attention with his signature sunbleached, laid-back vocal delivery. That emotion is contrasted with the harsh grit of Go Golden Junk. Together they create this beautiful dissonance that reflects the duality of Hollywood, at the core of the song’s themes.

Hollywood Blvd. impressed me with its thematically cohesive production and emphatic delivery. I’m excited to see what Love Ghost does next.